Is your PS4 running slower lately? Or did it start making some weird glitches that make it seem like the PS4 might have a virus? In comparison with PCs, consoles are much safer in terms of getting viruses. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible for a PS4 to get viruses.
It’s possible for PS4 to get viruses. Back in 2018, a viral PSN (PlayStation Network) message infected thousands of PS4 units and bricked them. However, it’s been a long while since that happened and Sony has improved its PS4 virus protection. Therefore, it’s difficult to get viruses on the console if you are using it as intended, which means not installing modded games or software.
Want to know you can get rid of PS4 viruses? Or want to learn what is the best way to perform a full PS4 virus scan? Keep reading because today I am answering all your questions!
Can You Get a Virus on PS4?
Yes, you can get a virus on PlayStation 4. Sony does a fantastic job of protecting the PS4 from viruses and only allowing verified apps and games on its store. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to get any viruses on PS4. As previously mentioned in the intro, a popular PSN message managed to brick thousands of consoles. All that PS4 users had to do in order to get the virus was open the message.
On the bright side of things, Sony made sure to improve its PS4 virus protection to ban all PSN messages that can lead to this sort of issues. Most of the time, people get viruses on their consoles after modding the software and trying to install pirated games on the operating system. As a result, the average console player doesn’t have to worry about viruses or any other type of malicious firmware.
A fun fact about console viruses is that Xbox One has never been hacked. Yes, you read that right. Microsoft’s developers took the Xbox One virus protection to next level and never allowed any firmware to “penetrate” the firewall.
How to Do PS4 Virus Scan?
Since the PS4 is running on a proprietary operating system, users don’t have to worry about getting viruses from other software. All the apps and games that are available for PlayStation units, whether it is PS1 or PS5, are verified and tested by Sony and its developers. As a result, there is no way to perform a PS4 virus scan. However, users can choose to clean the console by following the next steps:
- Open Internet Browser;
- Select Options;
- Settings;
- Delete Cookies;
- Clear Website Data.
Doing this will clean all the data for the console’s browser, which can include malware.
Final Words
The best way to avoid getting PS4 viruses is to prevent the console from getting modded. It’s always best to use Sony’s official PlayStation Network because otherwise, you might end up getting a virus if you install modded games via USB. As long as you will be using the console as intended, you don’t have to worry about a single virus.
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